Reluctant Retiree

Today I walked for several miles along the St.Joseph River. The sun was shining and the air was crisp, as I took in the beauty of the river and its snow covered banks. As rivers go, the St. Joseph River is not long or wide, but it is a vital source of water for the crops grown near its shore, and for the people in its neighborhoods. The river also doesn’t fail to provide scenic views.

Psalm 65 gives us a word picture of God using a river metaphor. It says, “You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.” It is God who brings the rains which feed the soil and extinguishes our thirst. It is God who blesses the crops to bring growth to feed us. God provides for our needs, often abundantly. But better than this is the fact that God gives of Himself abundantly. He freely gives love, peace, joy, mercy, grace, power, hope, kindness, forgiveness, goodness, and help to those who trust Him.

Why not turn to God today, admitting your need and turning from your self-centered ways? He eagerly waits for you. He is ready to give of Himself to you. His river is full of His riches for you.

On occasion, my wife and I have joined a disaster response team. We come in immediately after a tornado, hurricane and flood to help homeowners clear out debris and remove damaged property. Sometimes we come back later to help rebuild inside homes. Our hearts break with the losses that so many suffer. We try to comfort and encourage each one along the way.

We try to be as helpful as we possibly can be. However, we don’t have the construction skills necessary in many cases. So we cart off damaged items, remove soaked drywall, pull up floors, and console homeowners. During reconstruction, we paint, put together cabinets, install floorboards, and do other minor projects. I don’t possess all the talents necessary, but I am there to help.

From the daily grind of life to the physical, emotional, and social struggles of life, we could all use a bit of help from time to time. Friends and family often offer to assist us, but even they do not always possess the ability or resources to provide the help we need. Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” God is a reliable and able source of help for any troubles that we may have. He made heaven and earth, so He can certainly make a way for us to pass through our problems. But it all begins with faith and His mercy. We need to acknowledge that we need Him and trust Him to bring the help we request. The help may not always come in the form we expect, but it will come in the way that we most need it.

Most of us start each day thinking about what we have to do that day. These kinds of thoughts rarely inspire us. They tend to drag us down into frustration and maybe despair.

What if we started the day with a new thought? What if we think about what good we can do each day? I am not talking about the good things that we always do, like taking care of our families or excelling at our job. I am talking about talking about good works that may be unexpected or require some extra effort. Perhaps we can do some random act of kindness or meet some need that we know about. Wouldn’t that change our perspective on the day?

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God created us to do good works. He has even orchestrated circumstances and our abilities to prepare us to do these good works. While this verse is primarily speaking to His children by faith, I believe that it speaks to all of us. What joy we will discover if we seek out the good works that God has prepared for us to do, trust Him to use us in these works, and do them by His strength. Do something different today. Start thinking about what good you can do for someone else.

As I write this, Soviet troops are lined up along the border with Ukraine. The US President is meeting with the Soviet Premier in discussions to ward off conflict. On another border, government forces are confronting truckers protesting various mandates. Meanwhile, news agencies report daily on the violence in our streets. So much violence and it seems to be out of control. Where can we go to find peace?

Jesus said, “Peace I leave you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” True lasting peace is available in the God who is sovereign over all things. Man may fight against other men. Man may even rebel against God. But God Almighty possesses the ultimate victory. We find peace in dependence upon Him. As we walk with Him, His peace will rule in our hearts.

Psalm 119:165 says, “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” Loving God’s ways brings peace to our hearts, minds, and souls. Keeping His Word keeps us from being tripped up by fear, anxiety, and worry. We will struggle as long as we trust in our own strength to deal with troubles. We will have peace only when we surrender to the love and grace of God.

What would happen to a quarterback if his team lined up without blockers? He would be sacked in a very short period of time. What would happen if a baseball team took the field with only a pitcher and catcher? The opposing team would score runs endlessly, if they could hit the ball. What would happen if we left our keys in our unlocked car with the engine running? Chances are we would not find our car where we left it.

These three circumstances are silly illustrations of what happens when defensive measures are not taken. Losses are incurred and the damage is substantial. In Biblical times, cities built walls around their exterior. These walls were the defense against enemies.

Proverbs 25:28 says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” A lack of self-control leaves us defenseless against temptations and lies of our enemy. Our facade of strength is easily penetrated by attractions that will harm us and damage relationships. We must strengthen our defenses by aligning our thoughts with righteousness and asking God to give us self-control. Then the walls are built higher and stronger for our defense.